Janet (name changed) was an elegant woman, kind to...

Janet (name changed) was an elegant woman, kind to everyone she met. She dreamed of being a mother, but life was intent on stopping her.

Just weeks after she and her husband completed work on their new house, Janet was diagnosed with cancer. It’s always a devastating diagnosis, but Janet’s doctors told her she had six months to live.

“You’re wrong,” she told them. “And I’ll prove it.”

The first doctor was unwilling to even try. He wrote Janet off and likely never thought of her again.

Janet found another doctor to verify the diagnosis. The second doctor agreed on her outlook, but he was willing to treat her. They moved forward hoping she would beat the odds.

Often, she wanted to give up. When the chemo stripped her of half her hair, Janet shaved the rest off. She bought a nice wig, but still cried nearly every time she put it on.

“I’m going to beat this,” she told us with a smile. And beat it, she did.

I was in my mid-teens when Janet was diagnosed. Her quiet determination and refusal to give up moved all of us, but taught me vital lessons I will never forget. Attitude means much more than we might think.

There are days when life feels like too much. Dozens of things beat you down every day, and having a mental illness on top of it only makes things worse.

When you’re fighting a turbulent day, it may feel like giving up is the only option. On those days, keep in mind the ocean tides. That’s what Janet thought about on her toughest days.

No matter how high the water gets, the tide eventually goes out. The clouds part, and the sun shines again. The ocean cycles and the beach returns.

If your tide is high right now, hold on. Tomorrow will be better. Tie a knot in your rope and keep fighting.
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